Honest Question About Fisher

[WOX_69]

I seriously don't get how some people can seriously have an issue with Fisher leaving and then signing with the Lakers. To claim he lied is straight out disrespectful. But let's look at the facts here. There's a specialist in New York that Fisher would like his daughter to see, but there's also a hospital in Los Angeles that he says would provide better care, possibly because he's been acquainted with him when he was in LA before. Now mind you, I just heard a report on Tatum's condition, every two weeks she goes in for check ups. Now imagine flying every two weeks for checkups, surgeries, etc. to either New York or LA while you live in Utah. Keep in mind keeping up an NBA schedule and providing for three other kids (And per him and his wife, they're not the type split up the family for longer periods of time than they already do with Derek's schedule). Sounds pretty hectic, doesn't it?

Fisher never said anything about not playing again, he said he had to do what was best for his family. What was best was to keep the family together, in either New York or LA. Now given the situation of their daughter, do you think the Fisher's want to try something oh so new and exciting and go to New York, or try something they're comfortable and familiar with in dealing with their daughter's illness? I don't know about most of you, but I believe most people would go to a comfortable situation, a situation that also had a hospital the Fisher's believed would be right for their daughter. With that, it's probable that the Fisher still go to New York every once in a while for Tatum to see that specialist. Though now that they live in LA, it makes the strain considerably less. Instead of having to fly between New York and LA from Utah, it's just flying to New York. Much less strain for a family that has to deal with an illness that requires so much attention.

As I said, Fisher never said anything about not playing again, and let's take into account the Fishers have decided to go to LA, so their daughter can have treatment at that hospital. Now he still can, and wants to play, part of the sacrifice all ballplayers make (Speaking of sacrifices, he also left about an extra eight million dollars on the table in Utah). He can choose between the Clippers and the Lakers. Now, he can choose the franchise that he won three championships with, or a completely new franchise. Now let's remember, the Lakers weren't projected to do anything that year, just like the three years before. There was no Gasol, no developing Bynum, no developed bench, and remember, this was in the middle of the whole Kobe drama, so there's no guarantee Kobe will even be there. But all that aside, he has to choose between one of the two. Now again, I can only speculate, but I believe that he would choose the franchise that he had worked with previously, something a lot of people do, and continue to do.

A little quick chime in, Utah was held by most people to be in much better situation that the Clippers and Lakers. He people think he left for reasons of personal success, leaving Utah would be stupid. The Clippers had had an injured plagued season after the season they got to the Western Semis, though were expected to bounce back, Utah had just been in the Western Conference Finals, and the Lakers had been dismantled by the Suns two years in a row, and were looking like they were going to lose Kobe. Yeah, the Lakers weren't the franchise of the three that anyone had any hope for. And let me remind you he left eight million dollars on the table, so that says a lot about him leaving for personal satisfaction.

Now, being bad over giving away your strategy to Phil, well, Sloan's pretty much ran the same offense for twenty plus years, so it's not hard to figure out, but I will say that's what happens every time a player switches teams. Though I'm sure Utah changed some plays, code words, etc, because you have to adapt to losing players to other teams, and other teams picking up on how you play, so it's nothing new, especially in the case of losing Derek Fisher to the Lakers. Though it's funny, I never saw a Golden State fan boo Derek (The person, not the Jazz player) because he potentially gave Utah their playbook or "held" onto the jersey of Baron Davis, or stole the ball from him, his free throws that game, his three from the corner or any of his assists. I never saw them boo Derek the person in any of their matchups in any of the regular season.

Now I find it odd that Derek Fisher got booed in that first game back. That wasn't a boo for being a Laker, that was a boo for being Derek Fisher. A man who told the organization the leave him in the active list, because even with his daughter's surgery, he'd do his best to make it to the game. And he did, helping the Jazz win the game, and the series, which got them to the Western Conference Finals, a place they hadn't been since 1998.

Now boo Derek Fisher the player all you want, that I can understand. In that regards, he's the enemy. But booing Derek the person? Absolutely no reason for that at all.

[dingclancy]

his long post

Wow! Logic! Great post.

[FJS]

Well, It's all family then you are not playing 8 months per year not being at all at home.
I don't care too much about Fisher, I mean, I don't dislike him for being here, it's about being a Laker. Gasol is from my hometown and I don't like him either.
Simply he wanted to go to "HIS" team, because he was a lakers and he feels himself as a Laker.
I hope the best for his family, and I hope Lakers not winning anything.

[dingclancy]

Why? I never thought the Lakers and Utah were longstanding rivalries. So I do not get the dislike for the Lakers.

[idajazz]

Why? I never thought the Lakers and Utah were longstanding rivalries. So I do not get the dislike for the Lakers.

Bro, EVERYBODY outside of CA hates them

[FJS]

Because they think they are the best team.... if they are or if they aren't. Kobe too many arrogant, all that hollywood stars.. Phil Jackson... when every player they get they turn in a pussy and arrogant (Pau Gasol for example).... too many reasons.

[gojazzgo]

Fisher is a liar. I don't really care and I'll boo him as much as any other Laker. I don't hate the guy, but I don't care for him either.

There are 20+ teams closer to New York than Utah. He just happened to go to one of the few that were farther away. I don't think it's coincidence at all. He mentioned teams like NY, NJ, Boston etc when getting out of his contract here. He came to an agreement with the Lakers within days of getting out of his Utah contract.

I believe he intended to sign with the Lakers BEFORE even getting out of his Utah contract. Funny how he never really mentioned it. As soon as Fisher was out of his contract here, there were rumors of working a contract with the Lakers. I never even heard of him fielding offers from the teams back east, it was immediately the Lakers.

[DelaneyRudd]

Fisher is a liar. I don't really care and I'll boo him as much as any other Laker. I don't hate the guy, but I don't care for him either.

There are 20+ teams closer to New York than Utah. He just happened to go to one of the few that were farther away. I don't think it's coincidence at all. He mentioned teams like NY, NJ, Boston etc when getting out of his contract here. He came to an agreement with the Lakers within days of getting out of his Utah contract.

I believe he intended to sign with the Lakers BEFORE even getting out of his Utah contract. Funny how he never really mentioned it. As soon as Fisher was out of his contract here, there were rumors of working a contract with the Lakers. I never even heard of him fielding offers from the teams back east, it was immediately the Lakers.

He wasn't lying completely but he was stretching the truth in the press conference, at times to say not say something that may hurt some feelings. Is he really gonna say in a press conference that part of it is because his wife is miserable and has no friends because none of the women in her neighborhood can relate to her and vice-versa? Of course not because that would turn it into a dreaded "racial and cultural thing". She needed more support for the stress of caring for a seriously ill child than the Holliday scrap booking club could provide.

[MeestR]

utah may have fans that are classless, just like any other teams does. but fisher is also classless. not because he went to la. not because he cares for his daughter. but because he USED his daughters illness to get what HE wanted, NOT what was best for her(my daughter's treatment is in NY so i need to move closer to there blah blah blah...), which was why he got out of utah in the first place. that's why i dislike him. he is a liar and his whole "family-first" thing is a facade.

[UTJazzFan_Echo1]

Ya I honestly think that we would have welcomed him back with cheers instead of boo's. I cheered when he came back so I dunno how much that's saying coming from me, I never thought he should have been boo'ed.

[DelaneyRudd]

It was a mix of cheers and boos by the way. Boos acoustically are easier to hear than cheers.

[ColdBlue]

I don't have any animosity towards Fish, and don't understand all the hate. His leaving was a good thing for the Jazz money wise, and took away the horrible strategy of Fish at the 2.

[gonzo]

Come on. Two of your starting five were gifts that will change the parity in the west for years. Kobe and the Lakers would be decent with a healthy Bynum. Add in Gasol (wtf?) for nothing, and Fisher picking the Lakers (of all teams) after the Jazz let him go for his kid and nothing in return. Hell ya, we're bitter.

AND he picks LA when his doctor is in NY!

AND we have to watch Kobe strut like king **** when, in reality, it's Gasol and Fisher that put them over the hump. Otherwise, Kobe would still be pouting and demanding a trade. True?

If you're a Jazz fan, here's your proof that nice guys finish last.
Why would we cheer for that?

[amb1ent]

If the issue was really so dyer that he had to ask out of a contract he should have either taken a year off, or actually gone closer to the specialist, not farther away.
...
Take a year off if your such a family man, you've got plenty of money.

normal people can afford to do this, but pro athletes obviously have their careers cut short. when your career earning potential is guaranteed to abruptly end at a certain age, since you've spent your entire life focusing on sports and don't have any backup plans, there's gonna be that sense of urgency to make as much money as possible before time catches up and forces you into retirement.

look at how many pro athletes (especially nfl/nba) are broke today a decade into retirement...taking a year off doesn't really seem feasible for them when you have a very limited window in which to make money.

[carrottop12]

I bet most of the teams in the league contacted him about their interest in having him go play for them, and if you don't think he took into consideration playing for a winner when he made his choice you are lying to yourself.

Well its you who is lying to yourself. When Fisher signed with the Lakers no one wanted to come here. That was the offseason where Kobe was dumping his crap on Kupchak and Bynum. Garnett did not want to come here because of Kobe. We just lost 4-1 to the Suns while Utah got to the WCF. Utah was clearly closer to the championship than the Lakers, and we limped all the way to the playoffs. That could have been the worst season if not for the Ariza trade, Bynum's development, Gasol, and of course Fisher's leadership, which were all surprising except for the last one.

The opening game starting 5 was

Fisher
Kobe
Walton
Odom
Kwame

Lol! That was your central point of your long post and it all failed in one swoop.

Scumbag my arse.

Right, nobody wants to go play for the Lakers and Phil Jackson, mmm hmm, who would want to play in LA?

[carrottop12]

Plus I've always hated FIsher, just like I hated Rick Fox. Role players that act like they are the **** have always bugged me.

[d-will8]

Reasons why I think booing for Fisher is justified (not necessarily in order):
-He plays for the Lakers. I don't think I'm alone in hating a big market team that's won 16 championships and currently consists of a bunch of cocky, whiny d-bags and is only a championship contender because the Jazz were gracious enough to let Fish out of his contract and the Grizzlies were stupid enough to trade Pau for basically nothing. I can't stand the idea of the Lakers, their current team or obnoxious bandwagon Laker fans (I don't mean all Laker fans, by the way)
-Whether or not he straight up lied to the Jazz, it's hard to believe that he was totally explicit and honest in describing his motivation for leaving the Jazz and going to the Lakers. I'm not saying he's a horrible guy or anything, but if he used his daughter's cancer to mask his own ulterior motives (and I think it's quite possible that he did), that **** is pretty messed up.
-All that being said, even if Fisher wasn't playing for the Lakers and hadn't left on the terms that he did, I still wouldn't be a fan. By the end of his time here, I could barely stand watching the guy. Sure, he provided veteran leadership and had a few great moments in the playoffs, but he did not play very well when he was here. Not at all. I think he shot something like 38% from the field and 30% from behind the arc. Not only did I hate the fact that Sloan played him so much at the two, I really don't like Fisher's game. I hated watching him chuck and miss jumpshots off the dribble and I hated watching him put his head down, drive to the basket and throw the ball wildly off the backboard in the hopes of drawing a foul. The fact that he's playing so much better on the Lakers than he ever did for the Jazz also doesn't help his case.